West Point Gold Company (TSXV: WPG; OTCCP: WPGCF; FSE: LRA0) reported preliminary drilling results from the Sheep Trail and South Tyro targets. The shallow gold mineralization intersects at the Sheep Road target located approximately 600 meters south of the main Tiro area, at the company’s Gold Chain project in Arizona.
Preliminary results across the upper portions of the Sheep Track target are consistent with historical mining and surface sampling activities, indicating that the Sheep Track mine area likely represents a third area where the resource could be identified in the Gold Chain Project. The Sheep Track and South Tiro targets are two of several gold targets tested in early 2026. This press release includes drilling results from 4,517 metres; To date, 15,173 meters of the ongoing 20,000 meter drilling program at the Gold Chain project have been completed. Scores are pending from 32 holes or 5859 meters of targets from the Tyro Main, NE, Black Dyke and Bull 8 areas.
Highlights: The Sheep Road is defined by a length greater than 1 km and hosts between 1 and 3 zones of gold-bearing quartz veins and breccia in the rhyolite dike complex.
Hole GC26-106 intersected 32.0 meters of 1.05 g/t gold starting 9.1 meters from surface. In the same area, hole GC26-105 intersected 15.3 meters of 1.24 g/t Au from 19.8 metres, including a historical break (unsampled) from 19.8 to 21.3 metres. Hole GC26-111 intersected 19.8 meters (1.42 g/t Au) of 51.8 metres. Hole GC26-113 intersected 7.6 meters (2.41 g/t Au) from 61.0 metres.
The South Tyro target was tested, intersecting extensive areas of quartz veining and associated alterations with anomalous arsenic and antimony values, suggesting that the mineralization may be deeper than tested. The company currently has three rigs operating on the Gold Chain, with one core rig and two RC rigs focused on expanding the NE Tyro and Main Tyro areas deeper.
“The Sheep Trail has provided meaningful grading along strike exceeding one kilometer at shallow depths, confirming it as a potential third resource zone in the Gold Chain. Such results underscore the area-wide opportunity defined by West Point Gold in the Gold Chain. Separately, current drilling is focused on extending the main Tyro Zone, particularly the high-grade Northeast Tyro Zone, to depth and along strike. Exit success at multiple targets, coupled with continued success at Tyro, indicates that it is still in the early days of defining the full potential of the Gold Chain,”” said Derek McPherson, President and CEO.
Hole GC26-103 returned 19.8 meters at 0.48 g/t gold. GC26-105 returned 15.3 meters at 1.24 g/t gold. GC26-106 returned 32.0 meters at 1.05 g/t gold. GC26-108 returned 24.4 meters at 0.84 g/t gold. GC26-111 returned 19.8 meters at 1.42 g/t gold. GC26-112 returned 13.7 meters at 0.39 g/t gold. GC26-113 returned 7.6 meters at 2.41 g/t gold, including 1.5 meters at 7.75 g/t gold. All offers shown are downhole. The true width is greater than 60% of the bottomhole width.
Several RC holes have been drilled across accessible portions of the sheep track target in areas where historic mine workings are widespread. These include holes GC26-103, GC26-105, GC26-106 and GC26-108 across the western extension of the mineralized zone and holes GC26-111, GC26-112 and GC26-113 to the east and across what is referred to as the “Gold Facility”. The target area is shallow and 60 meters from the surface; Two of the holes were extended deeper to test the possibility of additional veins in the Precambrian granite. To date, all gold mineralization is contained within the main rhyolite dike complex or in contact with the Precambrian basement (sheep track edge).
In addition, five pits were excavated across the downhill extension of the sheep track edge approximately 200 meters to the south of the pits mentioned above. All holes encountered extensive areas of quartz veining found in siliceous rhyolite but did not contain gold values greater than 0.07 g/t gold. Additional work will likely be needed to better understand the relationship between these holes and those drilled in the upper sheep track.
The results of drilling the upper sheep track are discussed below. Both drilled areas reveal intervals of up to 30 m of multi-stage quartz veins, veins and breccia in the rhyolite dike. This dyke, mapped over several kilometres, slopes moderately to the south-southwest at an angle of 50 to 60 degrees and locally forms a steep slope along which historical excavation has taken place. Mapping and sampling conducted by West Point Gold identified widespread breccia veins and blocks with values reported (3.7 m at 19.52 g/t Au).
Mineralization in holes drilled to date in the Sheep Track occurs in the form of narrow (<5 mm) white quartz veins over much of the dike complex. Within this blanket of generally barren white quartz veins, there is a later quartz phase defined by lime green quartz and garnet veins, stock and breccia that hosted high grades (up to 5 ounces per ton Au) at the historic Sheep Road Mine. Additional quartz events include white to gray sucrose quartz veins and breccias with low gold values.
The Sheep Trail Mine was discovered in 1865 by Jack Millen, a steamship captain operating on the Colorado River. The mine was later acquired by the New Comstock Mining Company, which improved the property, installed a 20-stamp mill at the river, and milled about 2,000 tons of ore. In 1909, the Sheep Trail Mine was developed to a depth of 130 feet by drifts, tunnels and shafts with over 5,000 feet of underground development. The length of the lower tunnel is about 230 metres. The ‘vein’ or ‘ridge’ system of the sheep track has invaded a roughly east-west ridge formed by a fine-grained rhyolite dike complex up to 400 m wide, embedded in Precambrian granite. Schrader (1909) stated, “The vein (and dyke) dips about 60° S. The ore consists mostly of inclusions of quartz and hematite (limonite) and is said to be rich.”
Luzin (1931) states that the mineralization consists of a number of small quartz strings from three to seven feet wide. This quartz has not been fully mineralized, and only certain parts of the vein stained with iron oxides have been extracted. Most quartz is fine-grained, and some shows a lamellar (reticular) structure. The average width of the parapets was four feet. The best mineralization has been found where manganese oxide has occurred in porous quartz, and this mineralization can hold up to 5 oz/t Au. The best mineralization is found at or a short distance below the water table. Luzin (1931) concluded that this occurrence strongly indicates secondary enrichment of gold. In the lower parts of the mine, the mineralization was too low grade to be extracted profitably at that time.
South Tyro Vein System: A total of nine RC holes have been drilled across the South Tyro Vein system totaling 2,477 metres. Extensive zones of silicate and illite-pyrite (limonite) alteration are traversed and host extensive intervals of quartz veins; No significant gold values were found. Low-level (<0.066 g/t) and anomalous antimony and arsenic values were identified over the entire vertical extent of the drilling. The results suggest that gold deposition occurred at greater depths and may reflect intra- and post-mineral movement along several important faults that cross the Katherine Zone. West Point Gold is awaiting additional detailed geochemical results, a recently completed gravity survey analysis, and plans to incorporate the recently completed structural geological study into the design of the next phase of drilling at South Tiro.
West Point Gold is an exploration and development company focused on four projects along the Walker Lane Trend in Nevada and Arizona, USA. The company’s near-term priority is to develop its flagship gold chain project in Arizona.
